A pouring position is a position where the molten steel is poured into a tundish and is allowed to flow therefrom to a mold. It is most common to interpose the pouring position between two stand-by positions in such a manner that these three positions lie on a straight course. Two tundish cars movable along a traveling rail are provided so that, for example, a tundish car is moved from one side toward the pouring position, molten steel is received into a tundish from a ladle, and the molten steel is poured into a mold through a sliding nozzle. After the pouring work ends, the tundish car is returned toward the stand-by position and then another tundish car on the other side is moved to the pouring position for working. At the stand-by positions are disposed residual steel and slag discharge apparatus, sliding nozzle exchange apparatus, and preheating apparatus for the tundishes respectively, so that residual steel and slag in the tundishes are discharged therefrom to repair inner walls thereof and each sliding nozzle is exchanged and the tundishes are preheated.
In such construction, the residual steel and slag discharge apparatus is required for the respective stand-by positions, thereby creating the problem in that the cost of equipment becomes high.
In addition, since the work of draining the residual steel and slag from a tundish is done in the stand-by positions, there is always a possibility that the residual steel and slag spilled on the track may obstruct the passage of tundish cars.